The Association of BellTel Retirees with Thomas Steed (Ep. 97)

The Association of BellTel Retirees with Thomas Steed (Ep. 97)

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The telecom industry has undergone significant changes, impacting both current employees and retirees. Understanding these shifts is crucial for safeguarding the future.

How does one navigate the shifting tides of the telecom sector? What measures can ensure the well-being of retirees who have dedicated their lives to the industry?

In this episode, Dennis O’Keefe talks with Thomas Steed, Chairman of the Association of BellTel Retirees, who shares fascinating stories and insights from his 30+ years working at Verizon and how the association supports retirees. 

Thomas discusses:

  • His early career in the 1970s with New York Telephone and the significant strike that broke the U.S. wage freeze
  • Changes within the telecom industry and the diminishing role of unions
  • Objectives of the Association of BellTel Retirees
  • The transition of the telecom industry post-AT&T divestiture and the creation of 9X
  • History and victories of the Association of Belltel Retirees, including cost-of-living increases and proxy wins
  • Key initiatives and recent advocacy efforts of the association, including their stance on maintaining landline services and contesting corporate decisions affecting retirees
  • And more!

Connect with Dennis O’Keefe: 

Connect with Thomas Steed: 

About our Guest: 

Thomas Steed began his career with the New York Telephone Company, then a part of AT&T, in 1971 as a cable splicer working in Bronx construction.

Throughout his career, Mr. Steed was a member of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and worked on a multitude of major construction and recovery projects across New York City and the Hudson Valley, including the February 1975 Telephone Company Fire, which knocked out both local and long-distance service that routed through New York. 

Later in his career, Mr. Steed would be selected to serve as a part-time organizer for his union, Local 1120, based in Poughkeepsie, NY, where he worked on national recruitment and organizing matters, including the recruitment of the International Business Machines (IBM) workforce into the union.

Under his role with the CWA, Mr. Steed went from being a technician working on major construction jobs to earning an Associate of Applied Science from Dutchess Community College 1999, Bachelor of Arts from the National Labor College 2000, Master of Science from the University of Baltimore 2003, and a Financial Planning Graduate Certificate from Mount Saint Mary College 2005. His interactions included working with then CWA International Union President Morton Bahr and his successor President Larry Cohen.

 

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